The University of Saint Mary Values Statement notes “The University of Saint Mary believes in the dignity of each person’s capacity to learn, to relate, and to better our diverse world.” The university is committed to the spiritual and moral values of the Gospel of Jesus, which call us to have respect for each and every individual person.

Incidents of hazing, bullying, discrimination, harassment or other hate motivated acts will be governed by the Student Conduct Disciplinary Procedures, except that complaints of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence will be governed by the Title IX Grievance Complaint Procedures.

Hazing and Related Behaviors

No recognized organization or athletic team may have as a condition of initial membership or continued membership participation in any activity that can be defined as hazing or any behavior the performance of which is contrary to the norms generally accepted as governing behavior in society or as expected of a member of the university community.

“Hazing” is a willful act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, directed against a student or a prospective member of an organization operating under the sanction of an educational institution, which recklessly endangers or jeopardizes the mental or physical health or safety of the student or prospective member or that destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into affiliation with, or continued membership in any such organization. Organizations or individual members of organizations that violate the university’s Policy on Hazing and Related Behaviors will be subject to university’s Student Conduct Disciplinary Procedures.

Bullying

Bullying means any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal, electronic, or physical act or threat that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student or staff member. Examples of behavior that meet the definition of bullying above include, but are not limited to:

Physical bullying — pushing, shoving, kicking, poking and/or tripping; assault or threat of physical assault; damage to a person’s work area or property, damage to or destruction of a person’s work product.

Verbal bullying — repeated slandering, ridiculing, or maligning of a person or persons, addressing abusive and offensive remarks to a person or persons in a sustained or repeated manner; or shouting at others in public and/or in private where such conduct is so severe or pervasive as to cause or create a hostile or offensive educational or working environment or unreasonably interfere with the person’s work or school performance or participation.

Nonverbal bullying — consists of directing threatening gestures toward a person or persons or invading personal space after being asked to move or step away.

Anonymous bullying — consists of withholding or disguising identity while treating a person in a malicious manner, sending insulting or threatening anonymous messages, placing objectionable objects among a person’s belongings, leaving degrading written or pictorial material about a person where others can see.

Threatening a person’s job or wellbeing - making threats, explicit or implicit to the security of a person’s job, position, or personal wellbeing can be bullying. It is not bullying behavior for a supervisor to note an employee’s poor job performance and the potential consequences within the framework of university policies and procedures, or for a professor or academic program director to advise a student of unsatisfactory academic work and the potential for course failure or dismissal from the program if uncorrected.

Discrimination, Harassment and Other Hate Motivated Acts

The University prohibits discrimination, harassment, and other hate motivated acts on the basis of race or color, religion, gender or sex, age, national or ethnic origin or ancestry, genetic information, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship status and other protected statuses as required by law. Engaging in such conduct directed at others is prohibited.